Posted on 11/27/2013 11:18:16 AM PST by SeekAndFind
BEIJING — It was designed as a forceful response to Japanese assertiveness, and a robust declaration of China’s maritime claims. But Beijing’s creation of an air defense zone may have backfired, experts said, after eliciting a strong joint response by the United States and Japan.
Instead of strengthening China’s position, the air defense zone has unsettled and united its neighbors. It provided Washington with a perfect opportunity to reassure its Asian allies that it remains committed to maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
China is nothing if not a believer in “the long game”. It does not roughly push an opponent out of the way, it shoulders them, and keeps on shouldering them. It uses commercial activities right alongside of military ones, putting the commercial ones out front, to carry out the process.
For the most part, this strategy works. China has shouldered the US a bunch of times: to get it to move away from supporting Taiwan, to try to get it out of the South China Sea; and eventually China has been clear that it wants the US out of the western Pacific entirely.
And the strategy is not limited to just the US. China uses it continually against the other western Pacific nations, and even India. No mistake, it is an aggressive foreign policy.
Well, the Asia pivot, has been planned by the DOD for some time, and it will get some of the best of what we have. So, China’s shouldering is not working. The US also has Defense Treaties with Taiwan, which will be honored upon attack.
This latest move by China will merely speed up Japanese Naval shipbuilding and air asset buying. I look for Japan to have a real aircraft carrier within 20-25 years.
Japan needs to respond by building a Coast Guard helicopter base with resupply docks, long range radar, emergency clinic, and anything else necessary to ensure maritime commerce and safety.
Confucius say man who try to stop birds flying is peckerhead.
5.56mm
Lots of Chinese posting on the Washington Post comments section and trying to push opinions their way.
The US has tried to refocus India to ally against China as well, and they present a very serious threat to China. While Russia loves to be the spoiler in such things, they too realize that China would love to take over much of Siberia, howsoever they could pull it off. They have been quietly infiltrating Chinese up there and are hoping to do so by default; so eventually Russia will have to act.
They have lost face - good. They will screw us next time we need them to buy our bonds so we can get fatter and lazier - good.
If none of your neighbors likes you, that’s a problem. This isn’t just about Japan.
I frankly have no idea what China thinks they are achieving. Except it must be related to domestic politics, which means their internal situation is much more unstable than we think.
Also, there is zero chance Taiwan will become part of China. Te younger generation has no attachment to the homeland and expects a certain amount of civil liberties.
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